OAKDALE, CA --The horse nicknamed named Lucky Pal who was hit by a car last week in Wilton is doing "remarkably well" on day 3 of his recovery after Tuesday's eight-hour surgery in Oakdale.
Veterinarians Brad Jackman, Larry Galupo and Bob Hunter, along with a team of seven surgical assistants and veterinary students, inserted a steel plate and ten steel screws to repair a break at the colt's elbow. The surgery took place at Jackman's Pioneer Equine Hospital in Oakdale, one of the largest and newest veterinary hospitals on the West Coast.
Lucky Pal's surgery was full of mysteries - the biggest of all - would Lucky Pal have to be humanely euthanized on the operating room table if doctors were unable to attach a steel plate designed to repair his elbow? What if they found the bone too fragmented to repair?
RELATED: Injured horse in surgery, receives community support
Jackman said Lucky Pal had to pass three major hurdles. If the Palomino's injuries were too severe, Jackman said inserting screws may actually cause hairline fractures to splinter further, essentially destroying any possibility of repairing the break. In that case, doctors would have been required to euthanize the horse while under general anesthesia.
The second hurdle involved recovery - coming out of anesthesia safely. Some horses are known to thrash about with agitation, harming themselves.
Lastly, Lucky Pal would need to be able to stand securely on all fours immediately upon rising from recovery. The plate had to be a perfect fit and adhere properly to the bone in an exact fit. If not, there would be no way for the horse to recover. Unlike human surgeries where it's relatively easy to mobilize the patient allowing for bones to heal, horses must be able to stand right after surgery.
Lucky Pal had difficulty coming out of anesthesia taking his sweet time and proving a gentle beast.
The three doctors stayed by his side for approximately three hours after surgery to ensure his safety and to see for themselves whether the plate would hold. He was a sleepy guy - struggling to recover from the anesthetic, a process that usually takes 45 minutes. This sleepy-head took his sweet time of waking up -- three hours, to be specific. When he did come out of it, he stood, wobbled, stumbled and fell several times. But after a few tries, he began to walk normally and bear weight on the injured leg.
On all three counts, the surgery was a whopping success with the plate holding extremely well. The final moment of truth: he stood and walked as though nothing had happened only hours after surgery.
"We are are so pleased. It's an exceptional recovery. Actually, much better than we expected," Jackman said.